Gas-producer.



0. H. MORGAN. GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1902.

PATENTED MAR. 31, 1903..

N0 MODEL.

wifneaoao UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. MORGAN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF WVORCESTER, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

'GAS-PRODUCER.

SPECIFICATIONfor-ming part of Letters Patent No. 723,897, dated March. 31, 1903. Application filed July 21, 190:2. Serial No. 116,436. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known .that I, CHARLES H. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gas-Producers, of which the following is a specification,accompauied by drawings,forming a part of the same, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through the gas-producer, and Fig. 2 is a detail.

Similar reference-figures refer to similar parts in the different views.

The object of my invention is to provide improved mechanical means for automatic.- ally poking and stirring the upper surface of the coal in the gas-producing cl1amber,; and in order to attain the best possible revsults it is my purpose to provide a mechanical poker which is constructed and adapted to travel independently of the furnace and depending through the regular feed-opening at the top of the furnace; and with this object in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combina-1 tion of parts, which will be hereinafter de scribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes the usual gas-producing chamber, into which the coal is fed from the coal-reservoir 2 above.

The numeral 3 indicates a rotary coal-distributer,which intervenes and fills the space between the top plate 4 of the gas-producing chamber and the lower edge of the coal-reservoir 2, it being supported and centered by the shaft 5 at the top and at the lower edge by horizontally-disposed antifriction-rollers 6 6, and these rollers are preferably carried by the distributor so that they bear upon the upturned annular flange 7 of the central opening 8 in the topof the gas-producing chamber. Water seals 9 and 10 are formed at the joints between the upper and lower edges, respectively, of the coal-distributor to prevent the escape of gas at the joints. The distributor has a central opening or spout 11, through which coal issues into the gas-producing chamber below, and a side of the wall of this opening preferably inclines, so that the coal descending through it is more evenly the gas producing chamber.

distributed, a portion dropping directly downward and a portion being deflected by the inclining wall toward the outer edges of the coal-bed. The top of the distributor,

between the central opening or spout 11 and the water seal 9, is preferably fiat, as at 12, and the-coal from the reservoir drops initially upon this fiat portion, the bottom of the reservoir incliningin two directions from the outside, as at 13, and from the'inside, where the cone 14 is located, so that an annular discharge-orifice 15 is formed immediately above the flat portion 12 of the coaldistributer,and by reason of this construction the coal is normally held in the angle of repose formed between the upper end of the central opening or spout 11 and the outer edge of the cone 14. The distributor has a rotary movement, preferably, asin this instance, intermittent, imparted to it by the I the hollow shaft 19,which latter rocks in bearings 20, carried by the coal-distributor at a point as close over the central opening of the gas-produci ng chamber and as near the middle thereof as the spout 11 will admit, so that the poker swinging fromits point of support as a center will reach from across the entire area of This poker is made of metal, preferably in the general shape of the letter Y and of sufficient length to reach to the desired depth into the coal in the gas-producing chamber, with a water-space formed through it from one end to the other. The upper ends of this poker are spread apart and connected with the hollow shaft 19, the bore of which is in open communication with the open center of the poker. The purpose of the upper end being divided and spread apart is to afford lateral support for the poker,

one brace forming a brace fort'he other, as

the poker meets with considerable'resistance in forcing its way through the coal in the gasproducing chamber. An arm 21 is secured on the shaft 19, and this arm is provided with an elongated slot 21. In this slot a wrist-pin 22 operates, it being secured on the crankdisk 23, which disk is attached to a rotary shaft 24. On the rotary shaft 24 a wormwheel 25 is keyedpr otherwise secured, and a worm 26 engages the teeth of this wormwheel and in that way rotates it. Worm 26 is preferably turned periodically a limited distance with each revolution of the distributer by one of the teeth of star-wheel 27 striking a projection 28 on one of the brackets 29, which connects the coal-reservoir with the top of the gas-producer. By means of this mechanism the poker 18 is swung back and forth in the gas-producing chamber as the distributor rotates, the swinging movement of the poker being slow and periodical in the construction shown, due to the fact that the worm 26 is only actuated with each complete revolution of the coal-distribnter and then to the extent only of a single tooth on the star-wheel 27. The result of this com bined swinging motion of the poker and rotary travel is to cause the lower end of the poker to take a spiral course through the loose coal upon the surface of the fire, which has the efiect of stirring and distributing the coal and passing and repassing through the entire area of the coal-surface, which is the primary object of the invention. It is obvious that the worm 26 might be actuated more than once during a revolution of the coal-distributer and thatother slight changes might be made in various parts of theinvention without departing from its spirit and scope. To prevent the poker from burning out, a continuous circulation of water is maintained through it, a pipe 30,swiveled thereto, su pplying water to the hollow shaft 19 from the water seal 9 above and another pipe 31 discharging the water into the water seal 10 below. The

upper water seal 9 is replenish edwith waterin any convenient way. Likewise it is customary to keep the top of the gas-producing chamber covered with water to keep it cool, and for that purpose a receptacle 32 therefor is formed at the top of the gas-producer.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In agas-producer, the combination with a gas-producing chamber having an opening in the top, and means for feeding coal through said opening, of a poker constructed and adapted totravelinacircular paththrough the opening independent of the body of the gasproducer, and means for swinging the poker on its axial support during its rotary travel, whereby it takes a spiral course through the coal.

2. The combination with a gas-producing chamber, a coal-reserx oir, and a revolving coal-distributer, of a poker carried by the distributor, this poker comprising a bar having a passage therethrongh for the circulation of water through it, the upper ends of the bar diverging so that the two members of the poker thus constructed brace or support each other laterally, a shaft for supporting the poker having a hollow bore in communication with the passageway through the poker, whereby a continuous circulation of water may be maintained through the poker, and means for automatically swinging the poker in a radial path while it travels bodily in a rotary circuit through the coal.

Dated this 8th day of July, 1902.

CHAS. H. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

M. M. SCHUERMANN, RUFUS B. FOWLER. 

